My New Honda City in White - The Albus

dr.Munendra · Jul 14, 2016

My greetings dr. Mudhan. This particular thread of yours is the single stimulation that made me join the forum. Really appreciate the enthusiastically updated thread that is of great help for other Honda city owners like me [clap]

. I own a 2009 Honda city and have clocked 98,000 km till date. I am planning to start a thread to share my long term ownership experience and modifications done in last seven years. However, would request you to share your knowledge on changing the suspension setup of the car, if possible (I am not sure whether you have done it or not). Also, Dr Mudhan's followers on this thread (who are from NCR/noida) ! Can you please suggest me a good workshop/mechanic for Honda city service? I am now fed up with looting of authorized service centers here (will describe in detail in my thread).

Dr MUDHAN · Jul 14, 2016

SOMETHING about (ANHC) SUSPENSION

@ dr.Munendra

Thanks for your Compliment and joining with us at TAI which will complement our efforts. [clap]

I have not come to that stage of changing the suspension but however I just share some of my feeling about ANHC suspension with you.

1. I have never felt rather enjoyed the rubberized effect of suspension which I could feel with FIAT or FORD. (Honestly [;)]

2. I felt while driving the older 3rd GEN ANHC (2009 -2011) that they are soft, little better in handling but
worst in ground scrapping due to 160 mm GC. (with Michelin Tires)

3. My Facelift 3rd GEN ANHC (with Goodyear Tires) is stiff but have little better GC 165 mm , scarping is less but still the design of mud flaps make you feel bad.

4. Honda has an option to change the older suspension with the improved one for cars like yours, I think it cost around @ Rs.20,000/- If the car warrants complete overall of the suspension, you can think of this- swap the current suspension set up to stiffer one.

5. Some of our forum members gone with Coil spring adjusters to avoid scrapping, you may read more here:

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...88-honda-city-2010-suspension-very-stiff.html
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/technical-zone/15195-coil-spring-adjuster.html
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...new-honda-city-white-albus-73.html#post452461
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...5699-ta-ta-manza-hello-city-6.html#post394733

May I invite our friends for more inputs from their practical experience? Especially any better design of mud flap which you came across.

Thanks.

HaruH · Jul 15, 2016

Hello,

I am thinking of getting this one as Driver side Hand rest is not available in our cars. But not sure if it required drilling or gets retrofit.

For Honda City 2008 2013 Fit Jazz 2008 2012 2013 2014 Car Front sun glasses case box Auto decoration 1pcs-in Stickers from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Required your advice on same.

Thanks.. [:)]

dr.Munendra · Jul 15, 2016

Thank you dr. Mudhan for the information. Will check with Honda guys for the improved suspension. Actually, I am using Autorunner spacers in all the four wheels from the last three years and am pretty happy with the results. No more underbelly hits, no more vertical movement of rear when fully loaded and no visible/reported side effects yet. However, after seven years of ownership, I am tempting to buy a new (read fresh) car but the trouble free running of Honda City is restricting me. Hence now I have decided to refresh my old car for the time being and continue. The change of suspension is part of this refreshment program only [:)]

. I also plan to change seat covers, broader tyres and HID projector headlamps etc.

HaruH · Jul 16, 2016

HaruH said:

Hello,

Continue to this issue, It some time persist some time not but wipers are doing well but still somehow i am not satisfy with them. Probably that is due to the proportion of price point & performance. [confused]

When I was working with Hyundai dealer we used to replace the Wiper rubber instead of Blades as rubbers are available in Hyundai, so I have start to look for rubbers to OE wipers of City, found it on Amazon & Ebay (same seller) & its imported from China. Noticeable factor here is they stated 6-10 days delivery time with free shipping. I thought to give a try.

Bought

Generic 2x Universal Frameless Wiper Blade Rubber Strips Replacement Refill 6mm 28": Amazon.in: Car & Motorbike

different sizes are available but choose 28" as don't want to mess with again.

Product received in 6 days after purchase. Impressive.. [clap]

Packing..

After Installation on Wipers Blades, Excessive rubber to be cut..

Old Rubbers.. Very good performer..

Locking Edges on Old rubber as it's OE & car specified, No such locking on new Rubber as its Universal..

Pieces After Size Cutting..

Installation is pretty straight forward, took around 20 min for both blades..
Only add on thing I have done is pressed the jaw of blades on rubber to hold it more tightly as Locking is not available for rubbers.

Now waiting to see the result of it..

Its a very cheap fix if anyone wants to retain the OE blades..

satyaeet · Jul 19, 2016

Dr MUDHAN & Fellow TAI_ns,

I am very new to this forum and was going through the ownership review section, this is when i came across this exceptional thread about ANHC.

Next car i am planning to buy will be either from these 2 C's (Ciaz or City) but you guys have made my mind tilt towards ANHC.

Dr MUDHAN - what a impeccable writing skills. Your writing shows the love and affection towards your ride. Really loved it. For now i have just went through first 4 pages of this thread and its really awesome. Due to office work i am not able to give much time to go through it entirely but i am planning to take 2 days off from work and read out every bit mentioned on this and its really worth it.

Also the comments which you mentioned about other 3 letter forum i agree with you and i have stopped wasting time and energy to get my self registered [frustration]

.

Also i would like to thank other active members in this forum for pumping in the energy to this thread and keeping it live.

Keep it rolling guys, its really awesome [clap]

Thanks,
Satyajeet

pavi · Jul 20, 2016

satyaeet said:

Welcome to the forum buddy. But never ever get carried away with these reviews as Dr.Mudhan is having a 3rd gen Honda City and I believe your future buy would be a 4th gen Honda City. The current gen is just a shadow of the 3rd gen Honda City. Quality has been taken a major dip, and what you actually get is nothing but a Maruti at the price of a Honda. Low quality plastics, rattling dashboards, battery issues, wafer thin body panels, inconsistent panel gaps and what not. But I can promise you one thing, you will love the i-vtec (petrol) engine if you like to actually 'drive'. So I would suggest you to go for a new Honda City if and only if "it's a dream to come true" for you.

satyaeet · Jul 21, 2016

pavi said:

Thanks Pavi for the valuable inputs, will surely consider these before i make the final decision.

coming back to the point "If you actually drive" -- I am really crazy when it comes to wheels and when i get behind steering. I do have few travelogues in my portfolio which i will definitely share to this community.

Also the reason i got carried away with Doc's reviews is due to his exceptional writing skills.

Regards,
Satyajeet

pavi · Jul 21, 2016

satyaeet said:

You are very much welcome to share your travelogues. Honda City has always been my love. Even though I do have issues with the quality (Honda was known as a epitome of quality and reliability in India) of my car, I still love (true love always accepts 'the way you are') my car and she has given me all those exciting moments I loved, while at wheel. I am learning the rev matching currently, I have revved her to fuel cut off limit ie.7500rpm she never complaints. The i-vtec kick in is something to die for. More importantly she is black in color and it is the most difficult color to maintain, even though I wash her frequently and wax her when needed.
Basically you need to have a thorough test drive of all the shortlisted cars, and I would like you to understand one thing 'i-vtec engines have poor low end torque which is quiet visible and understandable from the torque curve charts'. The torque lies towards the higher rev band, and you need to work out gears and rev hard to drive enthusiastically. She just lets you rev and rev and rev!!!. I think it should be the way to drive 'enthusiastically'.

Dr MUDHAN · Jul 23, 2016

Dear Satyaeet

Thanks for being with us. Thank you very much for all your appreciation which betokens your broad, generous heart.

But for the motivation of readers like you and some of my well-wishers who are the active members, this thread would have not grown to 100 pages and more.

It makes me more committed than ever to the TAI community that has brought me so much joy and success.

Regards
Dr MUDHAN

pavi · Jul 23, 2016

Dr MUDHAN said:

Hello Dr., you are the 'Kabali' of TAI. People are waiting for your reviews and your reviews get massive 'opening'. And by the way "I am waiting".

Dr MUDHAN · Jul 23, 2016

.
CAR HUD - HEADS UP DISPLAY

PART: XCIX (99): My ALBUS gets it soon!

A childhood is what anyone wants to remember of it. We do not remember days; we remember moments.

I am fortunate to evolve from 1960s View Master 3D Gadget to today’s 4K 3D OLED TVs. I still remember the moment that made me to get thrilled while looking at the 3D depth in the View Master.

The one thing today excites me is the 3D Augmented Reality Holograms…. especially after the movies like Avengers Age of Ultron & Jurassic World.

Yes, I am talking about HUD- Heads Up Display!

A car HUD is any transparent display that presents data without obstructing the drivers view. First designed for airplanes there seems to be real interest in the market for them now.

In a world full of augmented reality snowboard goggles and Google Glass, it seems only fair that our cars get to enjoy some of the same treatment.

HUDs are being deployed in new car models like the 2016 Audi A7, the Mercedes S55, and a dozen or so vehicles under the GM umbrella. Automakers like Jaguar, Hyundai, and Land Rover have all thrown their hat into the ring at the latest auto shows.

I know, current HUD technology is still in its infancy, -technically the old style of displays go back to the 90’s.

But, still I wanted to give one such gadget to my ALBUS! , and enjoy the technology.

My exploration began!!

We have many options:

1. Buy a dedicated HUD gadget which can display on the reflective film pasted on the windshield, requires linked to the car’s OBDII port. Costs Approx.: 35 to 50 dollars

2. Buy a dedicated HUD gadget which can display on the reflective film pasted on the windshield, works on inbuilt GPS receiver, and requires connecting to 12v power / cigar light socket. Costs Approx.: 20 to 25 dollars

3. Buy a dedicated HUD gadget which can display on the attached reflective screen sheet, works on OBD II + Bluetooth connectivity of your phone. The gadget –bring a projection HUD coupled with voice and gesture controls to any car has an OBD II port. Ex. 1. NAVDY HUD integrates with smartphone (iPhone/Android) and your car (via the OBD II port) in order to function. 2. EXPLORIDE HUD with multimedia ((https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/exploride-turn-your-car-into-a-smart-car#/) Costs Approx.: 300 to 500 dollars.

4. Garmin Head-Up Display (HUD) Dashboard Mounted Windshield Projector. It is based on NAVDY tech. Costs Approx.: 500to 600 dollars.

5. Buy only the reflective film, paste on the windshield glass; use your smart phone by keeping it on an anti-skid pad / Sticky Pad on the dash. Costs Approx.: 0.6 to 1.2 dollars (film price)
(2015 New Car HUD Vehicle mounted Head Up Display System OBD II Fuel Consumption Overspeed display special film reflective film-in Decals & Stickers from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group)

6. Buy a Mobile GPS Navigation Bracket HUD for Smart Phone which reflects the data (of the APP software) on the attached special reflective screen sheet. Costs Approx.: 12 to 15 dollars
(Universal folding Mobile GPS Navigation Bracket HUD Head Up Display For Smart Phone Car Mount Stand Phone Holder Safe Adsorption-in Holders & Stands from Phones & Telecommunications on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group)

MY CHOICE:

There are 3 to 6 inch displays and I wanted minimum 5‘display. As I don’t want to paste on the windscreen, I liked a foldable mount (Option 6) with reflective screen which can be placed as I like. For that I need my smart phone (Samsung Galaxy Note2 @ 5.5’ screen) and an APP that can reflect opposite direction so that I can read the data. I found the APP DigiHUD Pro Speedometer v1.1.5 Or Navier Hud Navigation Premium is best and downloaded from Google Play Store the DigiHUD Pro . For continuous use, we may need to connect the phone with a USB charger/ Power Bank.

Though I liked, I avoided the dedicated HUD gadget which can display on the reflective film pasted on the windshield, requires linked to the car’s OBDII port. The reason, though the data will be accurate than GPS based, it is expensive, as to avoid windshield interference & don’t know how will it tolerate Indian heat when kept on the dash.

NOTE:

Advantages

* Make you proud as you own Next Gen technology.
* Focused forward -Data is projected so that they won't distract the driver's attention like cellphones or dashboard controls do.
* Eyes refocus much faster when you switch from the road to the projected display that usually floats few feet in front of you.
* Prices are coming down and we can buy a head-up display that might offer a safer car.
* Shows essential information that one usually had to look on different dials and can group them all in one place for better functionality that a drive would need to get in time and on the right track to the destination.

Disadvantages

* The light efficiency is low in clear sun.
* Before used to, some of us may feel distracting.
* Connection wire/s may look cluttered on the dash board if after market.
* GPS systems are notoriously spotty, and shouldn’t be used as your main method for gauging how fast a car is going at any given time.
* Drivers need information on driving and providing it on the windshield may not be more dangerous than providing it elsewhere in the vehicle. The problem with HUD's that are coming to market is that they dangerously provide non-driving functionality like Texting, E-mail, and integration of other apps. It's illegal in most places, and HUD's should not be integrating and institutionalizing dangerous Distracted Driving functionality.

By choosing the minimum data from the APP software we can have fun & enjoy the technology @ the cheapest cost by trying out option 5 or 6, and, if and when we don’t like it, can remove & keep it away.

Wait for ALBUS pictures and my personal observations soon. [:D]

.

VISHNUCARCRAZY · Jul 24, 2016

I have used the app HUDWAY in my smartphone for quite some time,afterwards felt boring.

Carma · Jul 26, 2016

@ DR MUDHAN
Greetings Doctor.
Your posts are a treasure trove of information not only for Honda City owners but also for other brands as well.
Could you recommend shops in Chennai dealing in original car perfume like My Shaldan, Dr. Marcus etc?
Thanks in advance.

Dr MUDHAN · Jul 26, 2016

.
@ Carma

I am delighted to meet you here and thank you for your nice words. Yes, I understand that’s the driving force that makes the page views of MY ALBUS thread to cross more than 3.96 lacs.

I could not get Dr. Marcus products in Chennai and purchased ‘Dr Marcus - Senso Deluxe – Ocean’ from SNAPDEAL.

It was good, mild but not noticeable like MY SHALDON. We have to be careful as there are many spurious Dr. Marcus products which we can note at AMAZON.IN
Dr.Marcus Senso Deluxe Ocean Gel Perfume for Car (50 ml): Amazon.in: Car & Motorbike

I buy MY SHALDON Squash from the following Auto Shop which I feel original, reasonable and @ cheapest price, while most of the shops sells at MRP rate. I purchased the car body cover ‘Challenger’ also from them.

Variety Auto Accessories (K.G. Plaza, 41 & 42, K.G Plaza, General Patters Rd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Phone: 044 2860 2706 / 42630144 )

Regards
Dr MUDHAN

My New Honda City in White - The Albus

dr.Munendra

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Dr MUDHAN

Honoured Member

HaruH

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dr.Munendra

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HaruH

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satyaeet

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pavi

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satyaeet

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pavi

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Dr MUDHAN

Honoured Member

pavi

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Dr MUDHAN

Honoured Member

VISHNUCARCRAZY

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Carma

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Dr MUDHAN

Honoured Member